Tap holes op open hearth furnaces and the like



Oct. 8, 1929. NEWTQN 1,730,678

/ APPARATUS FOR OPENING TAP HOLES OF OPEN HEARTH FURNACES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 5, 1928 QM/UQAVL'OL 9" 2 James E. Newton Patented Oct. 8 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE James F. NEWTON, or CANTON, 01:10, ASSIGNOR T CENTRAL ALLOY STEEL CORPORA- TION, 'OI HASSILLON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR OPENING TAP HOLES OF OPEN-HEARTH FURNACES AND THE LIKE etinuation of'application Serial No. 845,617, filed January 9, 1928. This application filed November 5,

1928. Serial No. 317,388.

This invention relates to apparatus for opening tap holes of open hearth furnaces and the like, and is a continuation of my application Serial No. 245,617, filed January 9,

An object of the invention is the provision of apparatus for opening tap holes of (;pen hearth furnaces and the like, which will e ectively prevent injury to the operators person 1 and/or damage to his clothes.

Another object of 'the invention is the provision of apparatus for opening ta holes of open hearth furnaces and the like, t e various parts of which are readily and easily detachable from each other, and in which a defective or worn out part can be quickly and inexpensively replaced without material loss of time. These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent in the course of the following descrlption of a prefer-red embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus of the present invention connected to a tank containing oxygen underpressure, and showing also the manner in which the novel apparatus is held by an operator when it is employed to open a frozen tap hole of an open hearth furnace or: the like;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, through the apparatus.

Referring more particularly to the draw-- ings, the apparatus includes an operating handle or shield 1, interiorly threaded at one end for the reception of a connector 2and a circular lock nut 3. In the use of the apparatus, this handle, which is approximately thirty inches long, and about one and onequarter inches in diameter, is adapted to be grasped by the operator, as shown in Fig. 1. The connector 2 as oppositely extending reduced threaded portions 4 and-5, and has extending therethrough, a bore, 6. The lock nut 3 is of considerably greater diameter than I the handle 1, and has an exteriorly threaded reduced portion 7.

Secured to the threaded portion 5 of the connector 2 is an interiorly threaded coupling 8, and secured to the opposite end of this couoperator.

becomes welded shut and in pling is ahburner pipe 9 having a bore 10 therein WlllCll communicates with the bore 6 in the connector 2. A collar 11 is employed Hitherto it has been customary to melt the metal out of the tap hole by the use of oxygen,

and for this purpose, apiece of rubber tubing, such as 12, having one end connected to an oxygen tank, and its other end directly connected to a burner pipe, narily employed. The burner pipe, which is about nine or ten feet long is grasped by the operatorat or near the junction of the pipe and tubin ,and this junction of the pipe and tubing is eld very close to the body of the in close proximity in the tap hole, and the metal is rapidly burned and melted away by the oxygen. The oxygen, being under fairly high pressure, causes the molten metal in the tap hole to be scattered about in the form of small incandescent particles, commonly called sparks, and many of these particles settle on the operators clothes and hands. In the absence such as 9, is ordi- The end of the burner pipe is held to the hot mass of metal of a higher concentration of oxygen than is usually present in the atmosphere, these incandescent particles quickly become cooled and cause no injury to the operators-hands and/or to his clothes. Very'often. however, the end of the burner pipe, when held too closely to the mass of metal in the tap hole, such cases, the rubber tubing, owing to the high oxygen .pressure, will usually blow off or become loosened at its point of junction with the burner pipe.

The escaping oxygen, under these conditions, will prolong the incandescent condition of the small metallic particles, mentioned above, for a sufiicient length of time, to cause severe injury to the-operators hands,..or damage to his from these occurrences, and the hazard involved makes it diflicult at times to secure operators for this type of work.

Under like conditions, if there are weak or defective oints in either the rubber tubing or in the urner pipe, blowouts are liable to occur at these points, due to the buil ing up of the oxygen pressure, and similar in uries, initiated by the escaping oxygen, likely to occur to theoperator.

In cases where the connection of the rubber tubing and burner pipe has become loosened, or where there are pinholes in the rubber tubing or burner pipe, oxygen, escaping through the loose connection, or through the pinholes, will cause trouble, even if the end of the burner pipe does not become welded shut.

Inasmuch as the operator is already at a distance of nine or ten feet from the tap hole, this being consideredthe minimum safe distance, mere lengthening of the burner pipe to enable the operator to stand further away from the tap hole, while admittedly serving to lessen the operators hazard, would be impractical, owing to the difliculty the operator would have in efiectively directing the jet of oxygen to the desired point.

In the use of the present apparatus if the rubber tube 12blows ofi at its point of junction with the connector 2, as the result of the end of the burner pipe 9 becoming welded shut, the end of the rubber tubing will necessarily have to travel backward the entire length of the handle or shield 1, and since the rear end ofthe handle is normally a considerable distance back of the operators person, andalso removed from the zone of flying incandescent metallic particles, the oxygen will escape from the end of the rubber tubing at a point sufiiciently removed from the operator 5 person to avoid injury to the latter.

Even if the rubber tubing does not blow off, but merely becomes loosened at its point of junction with the connector 2, the oxygen must necessarily escape through the rear open end of the handle 1, which, as stated above, is at a point sufliciently removed from the operator s person to avoid injury to the latter. By thus providing an outlet for escaping oxygen, very little oxygen pressure can be built up in the handle 1, and all danger of bursting o: E the handle is thereby eliminated.

The lock nut 3 and collar 11 serve to lock the connector 2 in place, and prevent it from working loose. By thus locking the connector 2 securely in place, the burner pipe 9, after it has become shortened to such an extent as to render it unfit for further use, can be quickly and readily unscrewed from coupling 8, and replaced with a new pipe without disturbing the connector.

If desired, the coupling 8 may be made integral with the connector 2, and the lock nut 3 may be made integral with the collar 11, thereby dispensing with the use of the separate collar. 1

It is to be understood that these changes, as well as others, may be made without departing from the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

It will also be understood that theapparatus is not intended to be limited for use in opening tap holes of 0 en hearth furnaces, and the like, but may lie used for various other purposes, such as opening frozen pouring holes of ladles, in cutting heavy sections of metal, etc.

Claims:

1 1. Apparatus for opening tap holes of open hearth furnaces and the hke, comprising a tube adapted for attachment to an oxygen supply tank, a burner pipe connected to said tube and a shield disposed over the junction of the tube and pipe and serving as a handle to be grasped by the hands of an operator; said shield extending for a considerable distance over the tube and spaced therefrom to provide an open passage, so that oxygen which accidently escapes from the tube at its junction with the pipe will be discharged from said passage at a point sufficiently removed from the operators person to avoid combustion of incandescent particles which alight on the operator during the use of the apparatusw- 2.1. Apparatus for opening tap holes of open hearth furnaces and the like, comprising a shield adapted to serve as a handle to be grasped by the hands of an operator, a connector secured within said shield, a tube secured to said connector and adapted to be attached to an oxygen supply tank, and a burner pipe secured to said connector; said shield extending for aconsiderable distance over the tube and spaced therefrom to provide an open passage, so that oxygen which accidently escapes from the tube at its junction with the pipe will be discharged from said passage at a point sufiiciently removed from the operators person to avoid combustion of incandescent particles which alight nut secured to one end of the shield and servmg to retain the connector in the shield; said shield extending for a considerable distance a a burner. pipe secured to said connector, and a lock lie on the'operator during the use of the appa- Over the tube and spaced therefrom to provide an open passage, so that oxygen which accidently escapes from the tube at its junction with the pipe will be discharged from said passage at a point suificiently removed from the operators person to avoid combustion of incandescent particles which alight on the operator during the use of the apparatus.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES E. NEWTON. 

